Red Eyes, Crying Eyes
by shanejayell
Summary: Shoujoai! Linna learns about the hidden depths of their normally stoic leader.
1. Part One

Bubblegum Crisis: Red Eyes, Crying Eyes  
  
Part One  
  
Sylia Stingray sat back in the chair, and looked at the unadorned package sitting on top of her desk. She reached over and opened the letter first, leaving the large brown envelope on the desk top. In a short, terse style it read "Sylia, enclosed are surveillance photos of requested subject, as well as the negatives. Current report is attached." Sylia put the letter down and picked up the envelope, slid the photographs out and spread them out across the desk.  
  
Priss and Sylvie were standing and talking in one, dancing closely together in another. The photos were taken over several nights, the clothes changing but the obvious delight they felt for each other written all over both of their faces. At last, a final bunch of photos showing them checking into a love hotel together, and a few shots taken of them through the bedroom's window, showing them twisted together on top of the sheets...  
  
Sylia slumped down in her chair as she felt a sudden rush of jealousy ran through her. She clenched her fists as it was quickly followed by a surging feeling of utter betrayal. 'You never told Priss how you felt,' Sylia thought to herself fiercely, shaking her head as tears of anger appeared at the corner of her eyes 'but...'  
  
She suddenly stood up, grabbing the collection of photos and wadding them up into a tight little ball. She furiously hurled them into the nearby trash bin. Sylia slumped forward on the desk, laying her head down on her crossed arms and cried softly all through the night until, at last, the first light of dawn crept into the dark office.  
  
She got up, wiping her teary eyes, and looked out at the dawn. She clenched her fist, and softly swore to herself, "Never again."  
  
  
  
Linna and Nene staggered out of the Silky Doll building together, feeling sore, breathless and aching. Their shoulders were slumped, their clothes extremely grimy and in one case, greasy too. All in all, they looked like they had been put through a industrial sized shredder. A shredder who just happened to be named Sylia.  
  
"I wonder what Sylia's problem is," Linna sighed to Nene tiredly. She had just partially disassembled and then completely reassembled her hardsuit three times in a row as part of one of Sylia's new pointless emergency drills. She looked down mournfully at her nails and decided she'd never get all the grease out of them.  
  
"Maybe Sylia just really needs to get laid," Nene answered Linna with a great deal of sarcasm, then she winced as she bumped a large bruise that stretched all the way up her right side. Two hours of intense combat training with a relentless Sylia had left her with quite a few of them, and they all hurt in a lot of different, but distinct, ways. "Maybe I should take her over and introduce her to some of the guys at the station," Nene finished with a weary sigh.  
  
Linna gave Nene an odd look after that last statement, but she didn't say anything about it. If the other woman hadn't managed to figure out yet that Sylia was only into the ladies, Linna certainly wasn't going to be the one to have to break the news to her. "Lets just hope she gets over whatever it is soon," Linna sighed softly.  
  
"You'd think after we beat up Largo she would be more cheerful, but no, it's just been train, train, train all day long!" Nene groused.  
  
Linna said to her wearily, trying to change the subject, "I'm way too tired to cook anything, so do you want to join me over at the restaurant?"  
  
"I got a date," Nene answered Linna with a tired smile of her own. "I'll see you for Sylia's next torture session."  
  
After a quick stop at home to try hard to scrub herself clean and change her smelly clothes, Linna walked into her favorite restaurant, smiled wearily at the greeter and took her usual seat. Her regular waiter came over and Linna made herself smile for her too as she ordered her favorite meal from memory. Her eyes widened as she saw Sylia eating a small dinner not too far away, and she shifted back a bit to keep out of her line of sight.  
  
A closely watching Linna soon realized there was something wrong with this picture. Sylia ate her dinner hesitantly, completely stopping often, and sometimes just ignoring her food to gaze off at an unknown something in the distance. It was all very odd behavior for the normally extremely cool and terribly collected Sylia Stingray.  
  
Linna watched her there a few moments more, then she finally picked up her plate and walked across the room to where a very astonished looking Sylia was sitting. Sylia's eyes widened as she saw Linna walking to her, and she quickly tried to regain her composure. "Do you mind if I join you?" Linna asked her softly.  
  
Sylia swallowed what she had been eating with difficulty, her eyes red and swollen from a recent bout of crying. "Do whatever you want," she said shortly to Linna.  
  
Linna took out a clean hankie and passed it to a surprised Sylia. who, when Linna discretely pointed them out, used it to wipe at her eyes. "I don't know what's going on," Linna said to her gently, "but you're obviously hurting."  
  
Sylia looked at her, then reluctantly nodded, obviously embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I..." she started, then trailed off, looking uncomfortable.  
  
"You don't have to tell me anything," Linna assured her. "But you do look like you could use some company. Would you like to eat with me?" Linna offered tentatively.  
  
Sylia looked over at her a moment, trying to read her sincerity, then nodded in relief. "Thank you," Sylia said softly. She smiled a bit at Linna as she admitted "I believe eating alone may give me a bit too much time to think."  
  
"So," Linna asked after they had eaten for a bit, "I did want to ask you, was beating up on Nene particularly satisfying?"  
  
Sylia smiled suddenly, "Actually, yes." She laughed softly, "It was mean, I know, but it was kind of fun. And there was a good reason."  
  
"I'm so sure," Linna said disbelievingly, with an impish smile. They both smiled at each other and began to laugh together softly.  
  
"I'll try to go a bit easier," Sylia said with a sigh. "I guess I had to let my anger out somehow, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you."  
  
Sylia grabbed the bill before Linna could get to it, and they both left together. "You know," Linna said softly, "I really don't like to cook much. I usually grab dinner here around seven," she finished leadingly.  
  
Sylia smiled a bit, "Then maybe I'll see you here tomorrow." They shared a nod, and went their separate ways.  
  
They met that way several times, over the next two weeks. Sometimes after Linna left work, occasionally after another one of Sylia's training sessions, both of them ensuring they arrived there at roughly the same time. They would enter seperately, sit at a table together and talk as they ate their dinners, or sometimes they just sat there and enjoyed a companionable silence. They were feeling each other out, begining to see the person behind the working relationship they shared as two members of the Knight Sabers team.  
  
  
  
The ringing phone woke Linna from a sound sleep, and with a sweeping gesture she knocked it right off the dresser. She then fumbled on the floor for it quickly, finally getting it up to her ear. "It's Sylia," the crisp voice said to her simply, 'we have a boomer situation, and Priss and Nene aren't answering my phone calls."  
  
"Probably because of all those false alarms you pulled on us in the last few weeks," Linna pointed out to Sylia with a weary sigh. "I'll meet you at the 'Doll in ten minutes," she calmly said, and climbed out of bed. Sitting on the side of the mattress, she began to pull her clothes on and kept the phone at her ear to hear any reply.  
  
"Right," a very relieved sounding Sylia answered Linna softly.  
  
A soft click signified the conversation was at an end, but Linna suddenly stopped dressing and looked at the phone with a small frown on her face. Throughout the short conversation, there was something odd going on. Linna realized she hadn't heard that sort of tone in Sylia's voice before; gratitude and, almost, kindness.  
  
Shortly, they were in the truck rushing to the emergency, Mackie up front at the steering wheel. "So what's the situation?" Linna asked Sylia quietly as she efficiently pulled on her green suit of armor. She ran systems checks as she went, because even though Mackie did a excellent job in maintaining the suits, there was always a chance of a failed component.  
  
"There's an out of control Boomer, of course" Sylia said to her tersely. "It seems to have developed the delusion that humans are malfunctioning machines, and need to be 'disassembled' and repaired." Sylia touched a earphone, obviously receiving an update from Mackie, up front. She nodded a few times, and Linna frowned worriedly.  
  
"Oh, hell," Linna sighed. "Has anyone...?" she started to ask, only to have Sylia interrupt her before she could finish.  
  
"There's two casualties, and a third person's just been taken hostage." Sylia tersely reported. "It has a girl captive, so we need to get her out of there before we can take the Boomer down." She slipped her helmet on and was fully armored as well.  
  
"Lets do it," Linna said tersely as the truck rolled to a halt. "I'm sure you have a plan," Linna added softly as the two moved out.  
  
"I want you to cut across the boomer's arms and then grab the girl and get her clear of danger," Sylia said to Linna tersely. Sylia was clearly in her 'battle mode', focused totally on the task at hand. She didn't let herself get angry at the absence of Priss and Nene, or think about how dangerous that now made the current situation.  
  
They moved together like clockwork. Linna swung her body, her suit's cables slicing across the boomer's arms and sending the girl sprawling! As fluids spurted from it's arms and it howled in anger, Linna grabbed the sobbing, shocky girl from the ground and boosted away from the boomer and up to as nearby building! Sylia followed her path to the boomer, swords extended, and plunged a blade straight through the boomer's head!  
  
She was caught up in the boomer's explosion, fire and light engulfing and obscuring from view Sylia's armored form! Linna held her breath a moment, worried, until Sylia walked out of the flames, her suit smoking a bit but otherwise appearing completely unscathed. "Don't do that to me," Linna said with a dramatic sigh.  
  
With her smile apparent even through her voice distortion, Sylia answered "Sorry, but it was unavoidable."  
  
The girl clung to Linna, sobbing uncontrollably, and it took them a few moments to calm her down enough to get free. The sounds of sirens heralded the A,D, Police's arival and their own departure, and they quickly returned to the truck and soon were on the way home. "Very good job, Linna," Sylia tiredly said to her, leaning back on her seat with her helmet resting in her lap. "It went exactly like I planned," she added with a smile.  
  
"Since you never tell us anything, I've learned to guess what you're going to do," Linna said to her easily, her own helmet sitting beside her on the seat. Sylia looked at Linna in surprise, then she grinned cheerfully.  
  
"I guess I'll have to be less predictable," Sylia answered, smiling. They both shared a laugh over Sylia's usual tendency to hold back information. "I'll try to be a bit more forthcoming," Sylia added unexpectedly.  
  
As they pulled up to the front of the Silky Doll building, they saw Priss and Nene standing there outside, both looking very uncomfortable. Sylia, dressed in her street clothes, climbed out of the van and stood beside it as she slowlt looked over at the two women, keeping completely silent. Linna climbed down as well and held her breath, expecting a explosion.  
  
Sylia opened her mouth to say something, then she closed it. "I suppose I can excuse your actions tonight," the grim faced woman said quietly to the very surprised looking Priss and Nene, "but if you ever pull something like this again, you will seriously regret it." With the last, her tone of voice was like a crack of doom. Linna, at least, knew Sylia meant what she was saying, absolutely.  
  
Sylia took a deep breath, and Linna noticed Sylia's hands were shaking just a little. "Now get the hell out of here," she finally growled at them, and Linna realized that Sylia was barely holding her temper in check.  
  
Nene and Priss wordlessly fled the scene, and Linna was left standing with the clearly angry Sylia. "Do you want me to leave, too?" Linna asked quietly.  
  
Sylia shook her head, no. "Linna, would you mind sticking around and helping Mackie and I pack away the suits?" a slightly drooping Sylia asked her, letting herself show Linna the signs of how tired she really was.  
  
"Sure," Linna said to her gently, and climbed in the truck as Mackie drove them around to the shipping bays, then down into the Knight Saber's headquarters. All three worked together smoothly and almost silently, unloading then checking over the two suits before packing them away in their charging booths.  
  
"I almost thought I was going to have to go out alone," Sylia suddenly said into the silence. Linna looked over to her, and Sylia smiled and added "Mackie would have tried to stop me, but if you hadn't answered, I would have gone to help that girl."  
  
Mackie actually scowled as he said, "I can't believe those two didn't answer!" It was obvious the young man was furious at them for his sister's sake, and that it would be a long while before either Priss or Nene returned to his good graces.  
  
"Anyway," Sylia continued, after stopping and giving a blushing Mackie a fond smile, "I called you last, but somehow, I just knew you would answer me. It occurred to me that you've been one of the very few people I can always rely on, Linna." Sylia smiled over at Linna tiredly, and said with real warmth "Thank you."  
  
Sylia added after a moment, an impish smile on her face, "And if you ever tell anyone I said that, I'll deny it."  
  
"Sylia!" Mackie scolded her.  
  
Linna began to laugh, then she swayed a bit as tiredness began to catch up with her as well. "Why's the room spinning?" Linna asked, dazedly. A long day, little sleep and a very hectic night all finally caught up to her as darkness crept across her vision and she fell back into someone's very gentle arms! 


	2. Part Two

Bubblegum Crisis: Red Eyes, Crying Eyes  
  
Part Two  
  
Linna snuggled down into the comfort of the bed, feeling the lovely sensation of the silk sheets rubbing her body as she turned over in her sleepy state. 'Since when do I have silk sheets?' Linna soon found herself wondering. She opened her eyes a bit and peered around a large bedroom that, of course, she didn't recognize at all.  
  
'Oh, hell,' Linna thought to herself wearily. She looked over and saw that the other side of the queen sized bed had a indentation showing it also had been slept in. With a frown she began to rack her brain, wondering which bar she had been drinking at the night before and who might have been there buying her drinks.  
  
Linna sat up in the bed, and noticed she was mostly naked, except for wearing a very sheer, light green nightie that she didn't recognize as being one of her own. As she prepared to get out of bed she was struck by the memory of the battle the night before, then, the whole evening's events came rushing back to her, including her very embarrassing collapse, later.  
  
She blushed, but relaxed a bit, thinking 'Guess I must be somewhere in the Silky Doll, then.' She looked around the bare room and wondered who's bedroom she was laying in. There wasn't anything to indicate the gender of the room's resident, and her eyes widened as she came to the obvious conclusion.  
  
"Mackie, you little pervert," Linna suddenly angrily growled under her breath as she sat straight up in bed. She quickly looked around the room to see where her clothes might be laying around. The thought of him gleefully stripping her naked and then putting her to bed, death would be far, far too good for him!  
  
"I heard that," a very amused female voice said. "Don't worry, your virtue's safe from him, at least," she continued, and Linna turned to see a broadly smiling Sylia walk in, carrying a food laden tray. She walked gracefully over to the bedside, the gossamer thin gown flowing around her, not really concealing the fact she was just wearing panties and bra underneath it.  
  
"This is your room?" Linna asked, sounding a little surprised. Of course, she had never actually seen the inside of Sylia's bedroom, but it wasn't what she had been expecting at all. She had thought Sylia would have gone for something a little more decadent, honestly, not this very spartan design. A unadorned desk, the bed, a small chair, a few bookcases and a closet were all that occupied the small room.  
  
"I though about putting you out on the couch, but with Mackie here...." Sylia just shrugged expressively, and grinned impishly down at Linna. Linna smiled back at her knowingly, and they both broke out laughing.  
  
"Thanks," Linna said, and suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable. "Uhm, were are my clothes?" Linna asked a smirking Sylia a bit desperately.  
  
Sylia sat on the bed beside Linna, offering the food tray. "I'll give them back after you eat," Sylia said firmly. "Can't have guests fainting from hunger."  
  
Linna sighed softly, as she remembered asgain her fainting spell last night. 'I wonder how long it'll take for me to live that one down?' she mused. She looked down at the eggs, bacon, toast and orange juice, all nicely arranged on the plate and, after she tried a bite, fairly well prepared. Sylia stretched out beside her and began to eat her own food neatly as Linna asked her between mouthfuls, "I didn't know you could cook."  
  
Sylia chuckles and points a finger at the plates, "This isn't all that terribly difficult." She had a little sip of her juice, "I hope you don't mind that I stayed here with you last night. I'm sure you're perceptive enough to know my sexuality, but I can assure you nothing untoward happened here last night..." she said it all totally deadpan, but as she finished the last part, a bit of red colored her cheeks. She looked down at her plate, unable to look at Linna.  
  
"I'm sure you were a perfect gentleman," Linna reassured her, and smiled shyly over at the faintly blushing Sylia. She grinned suddenly and chuckled as she added, "Nene still hasn't figured it out, by the way."  
  
Sylia looked over at her in surprise, a nearly eaten piece of toast hanging halfway in, and halfway out of her mouth. She chewed it up and swallowed, then she said crossly "What do I have to do, wear a pink triangle on my forehead?"  
  
The bedroom door opened a bit and Mackie stuck his head in the room to ask, "Sylia, the load of wash is dry. Where do you want me to put it?"  
  
His eyes grew wide as he saw Linna and Sylia lying on the bed in their nightgowns, eating their breakfast together so decadently and he instantly jumped to the totally wrong conclusion. His face turned beet red, a bit of blood tricked from his nose, and he fled, slamming the door shut behind him with undue haste.  
  
Linna and Sylia just sat there a moment in surprise, then they both shared a good long laugh over that. They finished up breakfast talking comfortably, and Linna realized Sylia had spoken more to her in the last few days than she had in all the years she had known her.  
  
"I'll go get your clothes from Mackie," Sylia said smiling.  
  
"You let him wash my stuff?" Linna said to her a bit dubiously.  
  
Sylia grinned and laughed, "Let the poor boy have a thrill." She looked Linna up and down and added, "You can keep the nightie if you want." She blushed a bit, "It looks good on you." With that, Sylia, too, all but fled.  
  
Linna watched her go, thoughtfully. Once she was dressed, she folded the green nightgown and carried it under her arm when she was met by Sylia at the door. "Thanks for taking such good care of me," Linna said, and felt strangely shy.  
  
"It was my pleasure," Sylia answered. "Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?" she suddenly blurted out.  
  
Linna smiled, glad that Sylia had asked. "Yes, please," she said happily. "Is seven o'clock all right with you?" Linna asked her.  
  
"Sure," Sylia said with a smile. "I'll see you at the Rose, at seven. It's a date, then," she said, and blushed as she realized what she had just said.  
  
Linna didn't correct her, just smiled and said "I'll see you then."  
  
  
  
Sylia stood in the shadows of the club, watching the woman in the blond wig loudly sing to the cheering crowd. She really didn't want to be here right now, but in some way she felt she had to. She owed Priss some explaination, and maybe this way Sylia could get some closure.  
  
Priss had taken the blond wig off and was toweling the sweat from her neck as Sylia walked into the disaster area of Priss' dressing room. She looked sourly over at Sylia, and Sylia found herself wondering how she ever could have felt any attraction to such a total mess. "What do you want?" Priss asked her sullenly.  
  
"To apologize," Sylia said to her calmly, crossing her arms in front of her in a reflexive move to self protection.  
  
Priss looked a little surprised as she answered, "For what? I know you've been a grouch lately, but that's no reason to apologize."  
  
Sylia looked over at Priss, and suddenly understood that the self centered rocker had simply not seen Sylia's state of distress over the past few weeks. Hadn't seen,. or she just hadn't cared. "I wanted to apologize, because I hired a private investigator to check on Sylvie," she said softly. "He inadvertantly took some photos of the two of you together."  
  
Priss just shrugged a bit at the mention of Sylvie. Then again, she hadn't talked about poor Anri's death with anyone, either. "What did you do with them?" Priss asked. She saw the blank look and elaborated, "The photos?"  
  
"I immediately destroyed both the photos and the negatives," Sylia said to her calmly. "I don't intend to hire that investigator again."  
  
She looked at this cool, detached woman, trying to see any sign of actual feeling and realized that except for her famous battle fury, Priss was almost dead inside. She just didn't seem to care. Sylia shivered a bit as Priss answered her, "That's all right, then." Her tone of voice was so cold! "Thanks for telling me," Priss finally said to Sylia as she picked up her duffel bag from the messy floor and prepared to go.  
  
Sylia watched her close the door behind her and felt as if a cloud had suddenly shifted, releasing the warmth of the sun's rays. She knew, now, that whatever she might have once felt for Priss Asagiri, it was in no way love.  
  
  
  
They were meeting for dinner again that evening, it was going to be their first 'planned' meal together, unlike their first few chance meetings. Linna had spent more than a few minutes looking through her closet searching for just the right thing to wear. There had been something in Sylia's eyes when she extended the invitation that made Linna wonder if this might be a real date, not just a dinner between friends.  
  
'But do I want it to be a real date?' she mused, holding a dress up to her body as she gazed into the bedroom mirror. 'I've never been particularly interested in girls before,' she thought, 'so why this sudden attraction to Sylia?'  
  
And it was an real attraction, Linna realized. Even during that teary eyed dinner last week, Linna had felt drawn to Sylia, to the shockingly rare vulnerability shown by the normally iron willed leader of the Knight Sabers. And this morning, I don't think I've ever seen the joking, blushing Sylia before. 'I even think she was flirting with me a little bit!' Linna thought with a grin. 'Does she really trust me so much,' Linna wondered, 'to show me these other sides to her, or is it just because of whatever hurt her?'  
  
"Or whom ever," Linna suddenly said aloud. She frowned, Sylia's bad temper really dated back to when Priss... "Met Sylvie," she finished quietly. Had Sylia been in love with Priss all this time? It would certainly explain a lot.  
  
Linna shook her head, trying to dispell those thoughts. She looked up at the clock, and froze, thinking 'If I don't hurry, I'll be late!' She finally settled for a nice party dress, not too revealing, and some strange impulse made her pick her green one. Obviously, Sylia must like seeing her in that color, considering it was also the color of Linna's hardsuit. 'And,' she thought with a little blush, 'it was the color of that nightie she put me in.' 


	3. Part Three

Part Three  
  
Linna walked slowly in the direction of the restaurant, taking her time. It wasn't too late, the sun only just beginning it's descent behind the office buildings of Neo-Tokyo. She wasn't expecting company, so she jerked a bit in surprise as she was cheerfully hailed. She whirled around to see Nene waking up to her.  
  
"You look good, Linna," Nene said cheerfully, looking over the tight green dress Linna was wearing. "I bet you've got a date," Nene said eagerly, "who is it?"  
  
"I'm just meeting a friend," Linna said to her quickly. She blushed a little as she thought, 'What do I say? It's not like I can tell her I'm going out on a date with Sylia.' She smiled as she thought of Nene's likely reaction to that statement.  
  
"That's too bad," Nene said with a despairing sigh, 'it'd be nice if at least one of us was succeeding at romance." Then, as if she was reading Linna's thoughts Nene asked her, "So how's Sylia been doing?"  
  
"Not so bad," Linna managed to get out an answer. She frantically ran the last few days over in her mind, wondering if she had somehow given Nene some clue to how she was beginning to feel about Sylia.  
  
Nene gave her a look as if she were a total dunce, tapping her foot impatiently. "I meant," she said, super patiently, "is the dragon lady still really angry at Priss and me for ignoring her emergency call last night?"  
  
Linna relaxed a little bit, smiling wryly at Nene's obviously displayed self interest. "Well, I think she's gotten past the 'enraged' stage and has now calmed down to just being furious at the two of you," Linna said dryly.  
  
Nene sighed, "How was I supposed to know it wasn't another one of her false alarms?" She angrily kicked a small tin can down the crowded street.  
  
A few minutes later, and they were sitting together at a open air drink stand. Nene had some sake, while Linna decided to stick to fruit juice. 'Don't know how much I'm going to be drinking later,' Linna thought, and then suddenly had the amusing mental image of Sylia getting her drunk and taking advantage of her.  
  
Linna wiped the smile off her face when Nene curiously asked her, "So what happened last night?" She froze, and Nene frowned as she asked, "With the boomer?"  
  
"Oh, right," Linna said, a faint blush on her face. "Standard 'distract and strike' maneuver. I got the hostage clear, and Sylia took it out," she explained.  
  
"There's something wrong," Nene said, giving Linna a thoughtful look. Her eyes lit up, "You're hiding something from me, aren't you!"  
  
"You're just imagining things," Linna said to Nene hurriedly. She looked suddenly nervous, something Nene instantly picked up on.  
  
Nene looked over at her thoughtfully. "You've got a boyfriend," Nene suddenly exclaimed, "and you don't want to tell me!"  
  
"I do not," a very relieved Linna managed to protest, trying her best not to laugh aloud. Nene had a bright eyed look about her, like a small dog chasing a scent.  
  
"That's got to be it! But why the secrecy unless," Nene looked thoughtful, then her eyes suddenly grew wide. "You're seeing a married man! Oh Linna, those never end well! You've got to break it off before it's too late," a worried Nene urged her.  
  
It took all of Linna's self-control not to choke on her mouthful of juice. "Nene, I'm not dating a married man," she tried to reassure her even as she resisted the urge to smile. The girl was just clueless, totally clueless.  
  
Nene just shook her head mournfully, "Keeping a secret like this from your fellow Knight Sabers. How low can you let yourself go?"  
  
Linna sighed softly to herself. If she didn't get Nene off this topic soon, she was going to laugh and ruin a serious makeup job.  
  
"All right Nene, you've wormed it out of me," Linna said, faking a large sigh of defeat. As Nene eagerly leaned forward, Linna quietly confided to her, "You see the honest truth is that I'm dating a woman."  
  
Nene's eyes got wide, and a flush darkened her cheeks. "You're kidding," Nene said to her weakly. Linna just smiled as she got up off her stool.  
  
"I'm going to be late for my date," Linna said to Nene with a cheery wave as she quickly walked off down the street.  
  
Nene watched her go in astonishment.  
  
  
  
Priss Asagiri coasted her bike to a halt at the lookout. She stood there a moment, gazing out at the waves, as she felt the familiar sting of tears at the corners of her eyes. She reached into her leather jacket to draw forth a photo of two young women, smiling happily. Sylvie and Anri. A tear dropped onto the paper, then two, and Priss just let them come.  
  
They had met at one of Priss' concerts, and discovered a common interest in motorcycles. They road together up and down the coast together, spending more and more time together. She had fallen for Sylvie so easily, let the shy, mysterious beauty quickly work her way into her heart.  
  
"I want to be free, Priss, like you," Sylvie had often said to her.  
  
Priss sighed to herself softly. She hadn't known then that Sylvie and her sister, Anri were in fact both boomers, sexaroids who had escaped from an orbital research facility run by Genom. In her more honest moments, Priss had to admit she wouldn't have much cared even if she knew.  
  
Sylvie had stolen an advanced military mech, using it to steal the human blood she needed to sustain her and her injured sister's lives. But on a information raid into a Genom facility, things had gone horribly wrong, and fate crossed hers and the Knight Saber's paths. To save the entire city from the mech's prematurely armed nuclear self destruct device, they had to stop the mech by whatever means necessary.  
  
They had to stop Sylvie, who had somehow become linked to the mech's own systems. When Priss' visor was shattered by the mech, Sylvie pleaded with Priss to kill her, to save herself and Anri. In the end, it was the only thing she could do.  
  
She remembered Sylvie's body jerking as she fired the fatal shot from her rail gun. As the connections released, the woman had fallen out of the mech into the sobbing Priss's arms. She rocked the dying boomer back and forth, even as Sylvie pleaded with Priss to complete her final task, bringing the life saving data to Anri  
  
A deeply grieving Priss had brought the data disk to Sylvie's little sister, Anri, and tried to comfort her the best she could in the wake of Sylvie's death. Priss had tried to leave the Knight Sabers then, only to return when she discovered that Anri had fallen under the influence of the mad super-boomer, Largo.  
  
Anri had died to save Priss, to help buy her the time she would need to stop Largo's plans. She scowled as she remembered Largo's smile as he laughed at Anri's death. He hadn't cared about anyone, just his own power.  
  
Priss sighed. She had let both of those women into her heart in different ways, and both of them had died. She wondered sometimes if her love wasn't some kind of jinx. First Genom killed her lover, then Sylvie, and finally Anri.  
  
She put the one photo carefully back into her pocket and then slowly drew out another. Sylia Stingray stood calmly at the center of the image, Nene and Linna joking around her, and Priss stood scowling at the back of the room.  
  
Priss had clearly seen Sylia's pain the past few weeks, and suspected she might be the cause of it. What Sylia had told her tonight just confirmed it. She pushed her hair back, and leaned tiredly against her cycle.  
  
It had been hard, to act so coldly when Sylia had been talking to her, to ignore the peace overtures the normally reserved woman was making. But Priss wouldn't risk hurting her any more, and she suspected that it was all that Sylia would get from a relationship with her. A ghost of a smile teased Priss' lips.  
  
Besides, Priss had seen how Linna had stood so protectively at Sylia's side late last night. She might not be the smartest of the Knight Sabers, but Priss could read people like a book, and she had strong suspicions about how Linna felt about Sylia.  
  
Priss just hoped Sylia had bought her act, is all. She didn't want the woman carrying a torch for her. 'Linna,' she thought, looking up into the darkening sky, 'you'd better take good care of her, or you'll answer to me.'  
  
She slid the group shot back into her jacket, then brooded a bit longer as she gazed out at the waves, the sunlight fading away. She stretched and smiled a bit as she thought, 'Enough of this.'  
  
Priss climbed onto her bike, headed to the nearest bar, and proceeded to get bombed. The property damage caused by the bar room brawl she started would eventually be a new police record. Priss herself would know nothing of this as she ended up sleeping it off in a jail cell, only to be bailed out early the next morning by Nene. 


	4. Part Four and Notes

Part Four  
  
Sylia stopped in front of her hallway mirror a moment, and adjusted her tie. She stepped out of her room only to be met by a frowning Mackie. He walked a small circle around her only to stop and nod, firmly. "You look good," he said with a smile. As an afterthought, he reached up to loosen her tie, giving it a bit more of a rakish look.  
  
"Hey," she protested loudly, only to have him give her a look.  
  
"Trust me, it looks better that way," Mackie reassured her. He smiled a bit, "Good luck, sis. I hope things turn out the way you want them to tonight."  
  
Sylia blushed a bit. "What do you think you know, young man?" she asked him cautiously, then waited for his answer.  
  
Mackie smiled up at her. "I know Linna's good for you, big sister. And I hope she feels the same way about you," he said with a shrug. He walked up the hall, adding over his shoulder, "I won't wait up for you!"  
  
She was about to respond to his comment when she noticed the time. She snatched up her keys and took the lift down to the parking garage. Picking out her favorite roadster, she started it up, noting the smooth hum of the engine and the full fuel gage.  
  
"Thanks, Mackie," Sylia said softly, and sped off.  
  
Was she making the right decision? It might be too soon for Sylia to tell Linna how she felt about her. They had known each other a long time, but not in any romantic way. They hadn't even been friends, really, just business associates who worked well together.  
  
It wasn't until the past few weeks that she had really seen how good a friend Linna could be. A kind, supportive presence who was there when she needed her, ready to share laughter and tears as needed. And this morning...  
  
Sylia hadn't considered how intimate it would be, sleeping in her bed with Linna. She had awakened fuzzily, felt the soft warmth of a body spooned against her own, and opened her eyes to gaze at Linna's sleeping face. Her head was resting on Sylia's arm, trapping her there.  
  
For the next half hour she had watched Linna, smiling a bit in her sleep. Finally, Linna had rolled over, freeing Sylia, but she stayed there a little while longer by Linna's side. Sylia had never fully realized how beautiful Linna really was.  
  
Sylia smiled. She would tell Linna tonight, and then she would just see what happens. She would never again love silently, and risk loosing that love to someone else.  
  
Standing outside the Rose restaurant, Linna turned at the sound of a delicate clearing of the throat, and then nearly gasped aloud at what she saw there. Sylia wore a pearl gray suit, tailored to show off her curves, while still being comfortable and chic. She really did look like the owner of a fashionable store, not the severe businesswoman look she usually maintained.  
  
"It seems we both picked out our armor colors," Sylia said to Linna quietly, a small smile on her face. "You look lovely," Sylia continued.  
  
"You look great," a tongue-tied Linna managed to get out. 'Why hadn't she noticed how handsome Sylia could be?' she wondered. Sylia stepped closer to Linna and offered her arm, she reflexedly look it, and they made their way into the restaurant together. "Have you ever eaten at this place before?" Linna asked, then cursed herself at asking such a dumb question.  
  
"A business colleague, Arisugawa Juri, recommended it. I tried it once and really enjoyed the variety of dishes," Sylia calmly explained. She wasn't wearing perfume, thankfully, as Linna didn't think she could stand any more stimulus. But she did have a distinctive scent, a faint mix of oil, grease and her shampoo that Linna found comfortingly familiar.  
  
The waitress smiled at the two of them, and instead of taking them to their regular seat, she brought them to a cozy, corner table. "Your reserved table, Ms. Stingray," the young woman said cheerfully. "I hope you and your date both enjoy your dinner."  
  
Sylia blushed a bit at Linna's smile and raised eyebrow. "I reserved under Sylia Stingray and companion," she explained to her hurriedly, "I guess they must have jumped to that conclusion." Sylia looked nervously across at Linna, "That doesn't bother you, does it?"  
  
"No," Linna answered, blushing faintly. She smiled a bit, "As long as you don't mind being paired with someone as average as me."  
  
"You're in no way average," Sylia protested softly, "and I'd be honored to be paired with someone as extraordinary as you." They looked silently at each other, Linna mildly surprised, and Sylia a bit stunned by her own frankness. "I'm making a mess of this," Sylia admitted softly, blushing a bit under Linna's gaze.  
  
"No, I'm loving it," Linna said, and gently lay her own hand over Sylia's. "I'm just a bit surprised, that's all. You're normally so reserved..."  
  
"I've been trying not to be," Sylia confessed. She took a deep breath, "I asked you here to explain why I was so hard on you, for a while there."  
  
"You lost someone you loved," Linna said to her softly, making it more of a question. She held her breath, waiting for an answer.  
  
"Someone I never had, really." Sylia continued softly, "I never showed it, or told her how I felt, and eventually I lost my chance."  
  
Linna really, really didn't want to ask Sylia the next question, but some part of her must have felt it had to, "Was it Priss, Sylia?"  
  
"Yes," Sylia admitted, and took a sip of her drink. "I think it was more of a crush,. looking back on it, but it sure hurt when I discovered she had someone else."  
  
"So am I some kind of consolation prize, then, a second best instead of her?" Linna asked with a bit of bitterness in her voice.  
  
"No!" Sylia exclaimed, and wrapped her hands around Linna's. Linna was more than a bit surprised to see the glimmer of tears in Sylia's eyes as she said "I didn't want to tell you about Priss, Linna. I was scared you would feel this way, but I won't lie to you, either."  
  
Linna let out a little puff of breath. "I think I believe you," she admitted to her softly. Before she could say anymore, a waitress arrived with their plates of food.  
  
She smiled at them cheerfully as she served up their plates, and then said "I hope you enjoy your meal. We also have rooms available for the night if you wish to extend your romantic evening." With that, she winked saucily at them, and left.  
  
Sylia couldn't have looked more embarrassed if she tried. "I'm sorry, I didn't know," she started to say, only to have Linna break out into a fit of giggles. Sylia looked at her blankly a moment, then began to laugh softly as well.  
  
"If we keep this up," Linna managed to get out, "we'll be in trouble for public drunkenness, or something." They both managed to regain a straight face, though the odd looks the waitresses were giving them really didn't help.  
  
"Linna," Sylia said to her softly after a few minutes of eating, "I think I've managed to fall for you." She smiled wryly at Linna's obvious expression of surprise, "I'm not holding things back as much, anymore."  
  
"I have to admit I've been thinking of you in..." Linna blushed as she added shyly, "that way." She looked obviously torn as she continued, "But I've never been attracted to a woman before, Sylia. What if this is just a crush? I don't want to hurt you, too."  
  
"Lets find out, then" Sylia suggested to her gently. "It could be I may be rushing you a bit," she admitted, "so why don't we try and date first?" She smiled over at Linna, "I don't want to loose this connection we've discovered."  
  
"Go out together, you mean," Linna said softly, gazing into Sylia's dark eyes. She had never noticed before how much they were like dark pools, deep pools that one could almost drown in if you weren't careful.  
  
"Yeah, go out together, have fun, and get to know each other better," Sylia agreed, trying not to look down Linna's dress as she bent toward her. It had taken a lot of will power for Sylia not to take advantage of Linna last night, a noble act she was sort of regretting now.  
  
"Do things like mini-golf, walk together" Linna said weakly. The memory of Sylia in her nightie this morning was seared into her mind, and was rampaging across her memory, triggering all kinds of responses in her body.  
  
"I have a better idea," Linna said to her firmly, and pulled Sylia over the table into a fiercely demanding kiss. "Why don't we rent one of those rooms for the night?" Linna asked Sylia in a husky voice, her eyes sultry.  
  
Sylia visibly gulped, looking a little bit afraid of what she may have unleashed here. "Are you sure you want to do this?" she heard herself ask, almost against her will. 'What am I saying,' she thought to herself.  
  
"Oh, yes," Linna said softly. She grinned, "I've wanted to since I saw you in that sheer nightie this morning," she said with a smile. They finished their dinner in undue haste, and quickly tracked down the impishly smiling waitress.  
  
A quick credit transaction later, and Sylia and Linna found themselves in front of their suite, keys in hand. "Last chance to turn around," Sylia said to Linna gently. She wanted her, Sylia had to admit it to herself, but she didn't want Linna to regret what she was doing tonight.  
  
"Since when have Knight Sabers ever turned from danger?" Linna asked her with an sexy smile, and quickly unlocked the door. They stepped inside together, the door swinging closed right behind them.  
  
A amused voice can just barely be heard behind the closed door, "Sylia, I wore the lingerie you gave me this morning, just in case."  
  
"So did I," and chuckles...  
  
The End  
  
Bubblegum Crisis: Red Eyes, Crying Eyes  
  
Author's Notes  
  
Do I really think Sylia Stingray would hire a private investigator to spy on a fellow Knight Saber? Simply, oh, yes. Of course, she would likely have a logical rationalization, like 'Priss's new girlfriend might be a threat' or enemy operative or whatever, but she would do it. Of course, her real reason is likely jealousy...  
  
I think she started watching them after Nene mentioned Priss' new girlfriend to Sylia in the course of the Red Eyes episode. I'm assuming a bit longer time duration than what was actually shown during that episode, several days at least, for the Sylvie/ Priss thing to develop. I've taken some liberties with the show, though I hope not too many.  
  
In the series, do I really think Sylia would ever cry over losing Priss? Sadly, probably not. She is so repressed, I'm not sure if she's even admit to being in love.  
  
Sylia Stingray is a focused, remote woman who, if she fell in love, probably wouldn't want to admit it, as it could be taken as a sign of weakness. She has her cause to sustain her, and while she may pine away quietly over someone, she'd never directly act. On the battlefield, Sylia is confidence personified, but in her romantic life, I suspect she'll have problems. Do I think Sylia a lesbian in the TV show? Hard to say, as it seems she has repressed her sexual side almost completely.  
  
Linna is my favorite Knight Saber, as you can probably tell. I started to write this because somebody suggested there were too many Sylia/Priss fics, but none about Linna's romances. I like the idea of Linna being the one Knight Saber Sylia can truly count on, as Priss is a real lone wolf, and Nene's a bit of a flake, in my opinion.  
  
Nene and Priss are both mostly background players in this story. I had a bit of fun with Nene not seeing that Sylia's gay, and I might follow up on that later. Priss is firmly in Sylia's doghouse in this story, though it's not entirely her fault. 


End file.
